76ers coach Doug Collins has preached so frequently about improving his team’s first-quarter production that he’s nicknamed himself The Rev.

Actually, that moniker was in reference to a “confessional” chat he shared the other day with Maalik Wayns, a heart-to-heart between player and coach as to why the rookie hasn’t been playing.

But Collins likes his swift starts. He appreciates strong play out of the gate. And he doesn’t take too kindly to giving the opposition a chance at an early lead.

Too bad he hasn’t gotten consistent, first-quarter play from the Sixers, who have been outscored in the opening 12 minutes of eight of their 11 games.

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That stat prompted Collins to hint at altering his starting lineup, a change that was expected to take form in Wednesday night’s tilt at Cleveland — the outlier in a stretch that features eight of nine contests in South Philadelphia.

“My starting lineup has not been good. Not been good,” Collins said Tuesday, after the Sixers rallied to beat Toronto. “We’ve been getting out to poor starts, the defense has been poor. I thought we had some good shots early, didn’t make any of them. I’m going to change that.”

The Sixers, who rank 27th in the NBA in per-game scoring, required a minor miracle to stave off Toronto. Prior to Tuesday, they had gone 0-for-4 while playing from behind after three quarters. Collins’ team is fifth-from-last in the league in first-quarter scoring. Heading to the second quarter, they’ve trailed in eight of 11 games. Granted, the Sixers have won four of those eight.

Getting energy from the Sixers in the first frame isn’t like flipping a switch on or off, said Evan Turner. In Tuesday’s game, Turner said the Sixers’ early deficit had less to do with their play and more to do with the Raptors’ hot touch from just about anywhere on the floor.

“Part of the thing is they’ve got to miss shots. To start the game, they didn’t miss any shots,” Turner said of the Raptors, who made 10 of their first 13 attempts from the floor. “You scream out energy and this, that and the other, but if they start off and shoot 80 percent to start the game – and with hands in their face — what can you do?”

Switch the starting lineup, if Collins intended on staying true to his word.

Because of injuries, the Sixers have not committed to any particular starting configuration. Jrue Holiday, Thad Young and Turner have started all 11 games, though Collins has split duties at center between Lavoy Allen (six starts) and Kwame Brown (five). Also, Jason Richardson (seven starts) and Dorell Wright (four) have rotated at the shooting guard spot.

The most-likely switch in the starting five, should Collins be looking to make a more-permanent move there, would be at center. Brown has given the Sixers an average of 11 minutes per appearance, and nothing more. And Allen, while his play has improved in recent appearances, is still an above-average defender and rebounder whose better minutes have come late in games, not early.

Eradicating a true center, in favor of Young playing the pivot with four perimeter guys on the floor at the same time, seemed to work for the Sixers against Toronto. Collins all-but admitted that he had crossed his fingers in the hope that Thad Young would stretch the Raptors’ bigs while freeing up space for Wright, Richardson, Holiday and Nick Young to fire away from long range.

It worked for one night. It might be a formula to which Collins returns.

“It’s just energy. We have to come out and not ease ourselves into the game,” Holiday said. “We have to come out with a lot of fire and energy. It’s inside, within ourselves. I know sometimes I might come out a bit sluggish. That might not help the cause. We have to come out a lot more aggressively.”

The indisputable stat amid loads of conjecture is wins.

The Sixers entered Wednesday night with seven in 11 games. Despite their shabby starts to games, the Sixers are the only team, among those in the bottom six in points-per-game average, with a winning record.

Wins are nice, just like well-kept secrets. And for now, that’s exactly how Collins views any possible switches to his starting five.

NOTE: The Sixers, in the holiday spirit, this weekend will say thanks to soldiers who couldn’t make it home for Thanksgiving. Sunday, against visiting Phoenix, they’ll host 400 soldiers who are training in South Jersey at joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.